John went outside a few minutes ago, and the base is nearly arranged, Mai is still working silently; not even looking at the people in the room. She knew why her sister reacted like that, Akira was the one who was with her during the past four years, she saw what Mai went through.
For Mai, Akira has always been the calm and collected one, always has her composure in check, and never let her emotions over take her line of thinking but her sister must've reached her limit when she found out that Mai ended up in the hospital the week she managed convinced Akira that she'll be fine.
Mai sat down after serving everyone with tea, they seem adamant on waiting for Akira and John before doing anything, even Oliver could not complain about it, so he just let them be. Mai straightened her posture the moment the parlor room door opened. John and gestured Mai to follow him, they are once again entered the living room.
"Mai-san, we've come to an agreement." John started as Mai continue to fidget on her seat. John's tone is like a father who finally decided how he will punish his rebellious child.
"Akira-san will not bring you back home but—" John trailed off and looked at Akira whom now Mai noticed looking a bit forced about whatever she and John decided. Come to think of it, John has always been an expert negotiator and compromiser, regardless of the situation. If he wasn't a priest, he'd be a great business man.
Her sister sighed, "I…I agreed to not bring you back, but since this is also my case, I'll be sticking around. So, expect that I'll be watching over you and if you put one toe out of line, whether you take the attack that was meant for someone else or face whatever entity we have here. Anything that will injure you to the point that we have to bring you to the hospital, I will drag your ass straight home as soon as I see fit despite your protest." Mai knew that how much of a grave mistake it is if she complained, given how serious her sister is, and how John is silently pleading her with his eyes.
"I'm sure that's fair enough, knowing that you haven't signed any official documents, there won't be that much of a paperwork. Am I right?" Akira asked, glancing at Mai, who stiffly nodded.
"I meant what I said Mai, I am not going to put you through all the things you went through all over again, especially now that I know I have the means to protect you from it." Mai was apprehensive, but nodded, understanding that her sister didn't waste four years keeping Mai safe just for her to be reckless.
"I understand." Once everything was settled, the three of them went back to the parlor room and John along with Mai picked up cameras, wires and stands like nothing happened. It took the others a moment before they also moved to help the two, and Masako announcing that she'll start her walk-through the place as the others set-up the cameras.
Mai didn't say anything when her sister stayed in the room along with Lin and Oliver. She functioned automatically while setting up as she recalls her conversation with her sister. Her sister, John and a few others worry about her, after knowing what happened and what is happening to her.
She also swore to them before that she'll stay away from the SPR Team, not only for her sake but for them as well. But she knew deep inside that a part of her misses them and wishes to be with them, that's why she came back but is still keeping them at a safe distance.
The night came without any incidents, which was a relief, but it also made Mai a bit on edge as this was a bit of a routine, where there are no incidents on the first day and a roller coaster of incidents on the next days.
Other than the video and audio recording that the clients gave to them, they have no idea what they are dealing with. After hearing the audio recording, Mai never bothered to watch the video recording; not that Oliver would let her watch it without her instinct going haywire. She couldn't even hold the device without her hand shaking.
Oliver did give her the gist about the content of the video, which was still disturbing on her part. The clients managed to video record the places where the most common incidents occurred for at least two days. The first night was nothing, just wind howling, and scratch sounds that can be considered as rats or something, not paranormal.
But the second night, the night before they approached SPR, the video showed a shadow shift in the living room, and the audio of the video was the same thing as the voice recorder. The humming and the sudden screams of repeated 'Mine'. Mai involuntarily shuddered at the thought of hearing that audio again, she's heard worst sounds but there's something about it just makes her instincts react.
"Cold?" Oliver asked who is sitting beside her. Both of them are on the shift for monitoring duties, meaning both of them are alone for a few hours before the next change of shift.
"No, just an involuntary reaction." They never really got to talk after the last case even when they are alone in the office, Mai knew that he has a lot of questions, all of them are; she's just not sure if she's ready to answer it.
They both got quiet for a while, before she heard a sigh coming from the man. Oliver, a man who has great self-control, who didn't even flinch when he got possessed by a fox years ago, audibly sighed.
"Is there something wrong?" Mai couldn't help but ask, even though she was sure that he won't answer.
"Nothing, just stressed out." It's not the answer she wanted but also not the answer she expected.
"Personal or professional? If it's professional, I doubt it's from this case because we barely started." Oliver stayed quiet for a while; Mai thought the conversation was over already so she shifted her attention to the monitors. She's fine with the conversation ending abruptly, if she was is his position and most likely dealing with personal issues, she prefers not to answer questions.
She processed her thoughts for a moment before realizing that she is dealing with personal stuff and prefer not to answer questions. She didn't want anyone digging through her mind with questions, why is she doing the same thing with Oliver?
Before her mind drown her, she heard Oliver speak. "I guess it's pretty personal." He said in a gruff voice. "I'm used to getting answers to my every question, when I can't my answers; I get frustrated. It's kind of a bad habit of mine ever since I was younger." Mai glanced at him, thinking that his attention was also in the monitors.
That glance turned into a full look when she saw him staring at her, "It's like a puzzle that I can't solve." She must've imagined the way his voice went an octave lower and leaning closer.
"No wonder you're stressed out." She said as casually as she could and once again facing the monitors. It was always like this ever since she came back; whenever they are alone, there has always been a heavy tension in the air between them.
If they were not disturbed, she would always cut that tension first as soon as possible; but more often than she would admit, they would just catch themselves staring at each other. Challenging one another, seeing who would back down first.
Mai have no clue on how to take this new situation, Oliver was never like this before; but she guessed that finally finding his brother's body has given him peace to the extent that he is finally opening up. Speaking of Gene, she still has no answer why he is still here; he may have mentioned about being a part of whole but she doesn't know what to make of it, is Oliver the reason why Gene is still here?
She mentally shook away the thought, she doesn't even know if Oliver knows about his brother not passing on. Maybe she'll ask him after this case, tonight doesn't seems to be the right time to ask him about his brother. She also has a lot of questions that she wants Gene to answer; she meant what she said during their last case; she doesn't want to tell him anything with little information.
'Are you ready?' Mai turned and saw a gentle elegant woman in a lovely kimono, Mai felt herself smiled and nodded before turning again and seeing herself in the large mirror in front of her. She has this huge smile on her face while wearing a beautiful white gown.
Mai saw the woman in the reflection who stood almost behind her with a gentle smile on her face.
'It's time, let's go.' Mai once again nodded and let the woman guide her out of the room. As soon as the door opened, there was a slight shift on her surrounding and Mai found herself running out of the house, slightly pulling her gown upwards preventing her from tripping.
She ran out of the house without even looking back.
Mai slowly opened her eyes as she takes her location. Slowly, she realized that she was in one of the guest rooms. She remembered that after her monitoring shift, her sister and Lin was the next shift, her and Oliver immediately went to bed.
Mai immediately wrote down her dream, in case she might forget before she changed and went straight to the parlor room. She saw her sister and Lin still by the monitor and Oliver who was in the sofa, reading through the case file.
She noticed a small frown on his forehead and decided give him tea, the others are still sleeping. She checked the time on her phone and saw it was only 5:30 in the morning, she only slept a good couple of hours. She set the cup in the table in front of Oliver before she went to the window and watch their surrounding slowly light up by the rising sun.
She found that type of view relaxing that is until she heard a familiar chirp of a bird, Mai looked around to find the sparrow but saw nothing. She continued to look outside hoping to find the bird and in between the trees that surrounds them, she saw something that is white flash through the window she's facing.
Mai blinked her eyes, expecting that her eyes was only playing tricks on her. But she once again saw the flash of white until this formed into something like a silhouette, it's shape like a woman with a very flowy dress that is running towards the trees. The image of the woman made her think about her dress, the part where she was running as if someone was chasing her.
She wanted to follow the silhouette but she stopped herself as she has no idea how to explain it to others and she's not even sure what lies behind those trees. She'd rather not take a risk where she might end up in a hospital later on. She's not ready to go back home yet.
Home. When did she stop thinking Japan as her home? She was born and raised in Japan, her family settled here, this is where she also found her previously adopted family as well as him. What made Japan stop being her home?
She almost jumps right out of her skin when she suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder. She faced the owner of the hand with wide eyes and hand resting on her chest, trying to calm her fast beating heart.
"Kazuya, you scared the heck out of me." She said, a bit breathless.
"Obviously. I was just checking to see if you're alright, you were just blankly and quietly staring outside. I thought you were having one of those conscious visions of yours." I'm worried was the underlying message of his sentences. Mai doesn't know how she managed to somewhat read what was in between Oliver's lines but she's thankful that she could. It helps her understand him better.
The moment that he knew that her abilities were not the same as before, she knew that it worries him and Lin as psychic abilities are not supposed to be like hers. It's supposed to be like puberty where it stops changing or growing at a certain point. But she also knew that once they both know the whole truth; they would worry even more.
The truth about her being a ticking time bomb, just simply waiting to explode and they can't even do anything to stop it.